“Are you a white man or a black man?”

“I am sorry about this question but I truly want to know you.”

Both the title and the headline are copied directly from a letter I received from a precious Christian brother in Nigeria which I answered from a Christian perspective. The overall tone of the letter was gracious and loving but it was the very first time I have been asked that question out of many thousands of letters I have received during my years as an online missionary for Global Media Outreach. That question and comment triggered a line of thought and meditation which has resulted in this essay.

It seems race is becoming an ever greater point of consideration, contention or even confrontation on the world scene; reports on the recent killings in Dallas reference a black shooter who said he, “wanted to kill white people.” The truly sad fact of the matter is despite the intensity of focus by the protesters and the media, race is of no importance at all with regard to spiritual matters of eternal significance.

There are Only Two Distinct Classes of People!

The entire population of the world is made up of only two classes of people; those spiritually alive and those spiritually dead! The second birth is the exclusive distinction that makes a deep and eternal difference in the lives of all people and there is no visible difference between the spiritually dead and the spiritually alive; race is truly irrelevant!

There are many different races of people in each group, the living and the dead, but their racial differences are of absolutely no consequence when it comes to their being spiritually alive or spiritually dead. The point of differentiation comes with the matter of the new birth; it is only by being born again by the power of God, the Holy Spirit that one moves from the dead to the living. People of any race can make the transition from death to life by personal faith in Jesus Christ as Savior.

Satanic Deception

Why then is the real issue of spiritual life and death so widely ignored? How is it that relatively inconsequential issues dominate the media and the minds of mankind? There is one obvious explanation for this, we are living on Satan’s world and Satan is the prince of the power of the air.

2 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. Ephesians 2:1-3

“9 This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.” Revelation 12:9

The children of wrath, the sons of disobedience, are deceiving and being deceived by the influences of Satan and Satan’s world; the truth that could set them free is being obscured by multiple fantasies of Satanic deception! Racial conflict at any level is playing right into Satanic deception by obscuring the issue of the second birth!

A Spiritual Battlefield

I have written extensively on the subject of the spiritual war and the search facility in the upper right-hand corner of this website will produce many examples. I have noted the very existence of a spiritual war is often ignored by the organized church and many Christians have no knowledge that such a war is even in progress much less understanding they are a soldier in that war. This continues to be a dangerous omission for the Christian community.

One of the major factors in this war for men’s souls is the world-wide ministry of God, the Holy Spirit. In John 16: 7-11 we are told of the Holy Spirit’s ministry to the world:

“7 But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you.8 And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.9 The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me.10 Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more.11 Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.”

I draw your attention once more to verse 9, “9 The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me.” Why is that the world’s sin? Because all other sins were paid for in full by Christ’s death on the cross.

When Christ said, “It is finished!” He really meant it! This is why the focus of the Satanic attack is to divert attention elsewhere; deception and distraction to keep the world’s attention on anything and everything but the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ and the critical importance of being born again! Sadly the organized church is falling into Satan’s trap and letting inconsequential issues take center stage while overlooking the critical preeminence of the second birth.

Whereas the ultimate victory has been won by Christ’s death on the cross, the battle is still raging and the Satanic forces of evil are still causing damage and destruction using many deceptions including racial conflict. Many thousands are, however, being turned from death to life by the power of God, the Holy Spirit but the warfare is still raging all around us.

A Strategic Withdrawal

At a time known only to God the true church, the body of Christ, will be removed from the Earth along with the restraining ministry of the Holy Spirit; at that terrifying time Satan and sin will begin to have it’s way in a manner unprecedented on the Earth. Later, a covenant will be signed by Israel with the Antichrist and this event will start the last seven years God promised to Israel, a time known as the Tribulation. The time of the church’s strategic withdrawal may be near, only God knows the date He has planned for that event from eternity past.

In view of the staggeringly major events God has ordained for what I believe is the near future, let those of us who long for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ turn our backs on any form of Satanic distraction including racial division or conflict and keep our eyes and attention on what really matters. The mission of the church is to bring people to Christ by the new birth and help them as they grow towards Christian maturity. Let us join with the Holy Spirit in this epic battle to complete the body of Christ.